In Another Life: Han Ji Pyeong's Happy Ending (Start Up)

Chapter 53: Seventy-Two Hours

Dal mi's POV

"Aish... I miss him..." I mutter to myself as I rest my head on the office desk. I peer at my watch. Ji Pyeong is probably still on the plane, making his way to San Francisco.

"I miss him so much..." I sigh as I turn on my phone to see my phone wallpaper which is of me and Ji pyeong. "I miss you so much..." I whine, speaking to his photo on my phone.

"What's up with her?" Hyeon nudges Jeong as they both glance at me. Jeong shrugs and rolls her eyes.

"Aish..." I sigh heavily.

"What's with the black face? He's your boyfriend, not your oxygen tank." In Jae says as she comes over to my desk.

I glance up at her with my messy hair all over my face.

"You look like a mess." In jae chides. "Come on, we have important work to do." She says.

Ji pyeong's POV

The plane rises above the clouds. I peer down and see the wooly white patches without a single hint of land.

"Aish, I'm really flying off." I sigh, peering at my watch. Time seems to pass by at a terribly slow rate. I open my computer to try to finish some paperwork but find my time completely unproductive. Images of Dal mi keep rushing into my mind. I see her sitting opposite me, eating a corn dog with her mouth full. I see her peering into my office and looking for me with wide eyes.

"Aish..." I sigh as I slam my computer down and rub my eyes with the palm of my hand.

"Mr Han, are you okay?" Dong cheon, who sits beside me, asks.

"Orh." I say flatly. I close my eyes and will myself to fall asleep; to get some rest. It doesn't work. More images of Dal mi flood my mind. There's an aching feeling in my chest at the knowledge that I can only see her in seventy two hours.

"Seventy two hours... that's four thousand and thirty two minutes... that's two hundred and fifty nine thousand and two hundred seconds?!" I exclaim as I calculate the math.

"What?" Dong cheon looks at me like I'm crazy. "Mr Han, are you sure you're okay?" He asks.

"I'm starting not to..." I sigh and peer out the window. I give in to my mind and let the images of Dal mi flood my mind. I start counting down the seconds to the moment I can see her again.

Halmeoni's POV

"I'm home..." Dal mi's voice rings through living room as she steps through the door.

"Oh, you're home." I look up from the kitchen at Dal mi. Dal mi drags her feet as she walks in and her fringe covers her face in an untidy manner.

"What happened to you?" Ah hyun asks as she looks at Dal mi.

"She looks like she got hit by a truck." I comment and Ah hyun nods in agreement.

"What time is it?" Dal mi asks me in a dry voice.

"7pm, why?" I reply, peering at the clock.

"7pm... that means..." Dal mi mutters and sounds like she's counting. "SIXTY FIVE HOURS LEFT?!" Dal mi groans and sinks into the couch like a piece of dropped toast.

"What?" I ask, nudging Dal mi. "What's going on with you? You're acting strange." I say.

"Ji pyeong is only coming back in sixty five hours time..." Dal mi groans with her face in the pillow.

"Ah right! Good Boy is off to San Francisco!" I recall.

"Yah!" I slap Dal mi's shoulder. "Good Boy is coming back on Friday. You act as if the world has ended." I chide Dal mi.

"Aish!" Dal mi says in an irritated tone. "I miss Ji pyeong..." She groans.
"Aigoo, look at this girl." I complain to Ah hyun. "I bet if either of us were flying off to San Francisco for a whole year, she wouldn't care." I joke.

"Aigoo, but do you think Good Boy can adjust to the food there?" I suddenly ask as I picture Ji pyeong walking through the streets of San Francisco. "Aigoo! What if he doesn't understand what the foreigners are saying?" I start to worry.

"You're right!" Dal mi shoots up and looks at me. "What if Ji pyeong doesn't like the food there! What if he doesn't adjust well to the time difference! Ah! My Ji pyeong! I hope he's eating and sleeping well..." I sigh.

"Don't worry, when he comes back, I will make all his favourite foods and fatten him up!" I say as Dal mi and I both worry about our Good Boy in a foreign country.

"Aigoo, the two of you are really..." Ah hyun laughs and shakes her head.

"OH!" Dal mi suddenly shoots up as her phone rings. "Maybe it's Ji pyeong! I told him to contact me when he lands." She says excitedly as she looks at the number that appears to be a foreign number.

"Hello?" She answers the phone. I lean in, trying to catch the sound of Good Boy's voice. "JI PYEONG AH!" Dal mi shrieks so loudly that it hurts my ears.

"Aigoo! This girl!" I exclaim as I cover my ears.

"Ji pyeong ah!" Dal mi says excitedly. "Have you landed already? Did you land safely? How's San Francisco? Are you adjusting well there?" Dal mi asks a multitude of questions like a bullet gun that's firing non stop.

"Yah! How can Good Boy answer all your questions at once." I say. "Pass me the phone." I say and take the phone from Dal mi.

"Good Boy!" I say excitedly.

"Halmeoni?" I can hear the smile in Good Boy's voice as he answers me. "Halmeoni!" He says again happily.

"Good Boy ah, are you adjusting well to the food and to the time there? Make sure you rest well! And if the food isn't to your liking, try to eat something at least, okay? When you come back, I'll make your favourite foods!" I say.
"Aigoo Halmeoni, don't worry. I'm doing well here. The food here is not bad, but of course, nothing can beat your home cooked meals." Good Boy says.

"Yah! I want to talk to my boyfriend!" Dal mi says as she takes the phone from me.

"Hello? Ji pyeong ah?" Dal mi says sweetly into the phone and runs off to her room.

Ji Pyeong's POV

"Oh, I'm reaching already. I need to hang up now. I'll call you later, okay?" I tell Dal mi over the phone.

"Okay, take care mm?" Dal mi nags me again. "I miss you." She says.

"I miss you too." I smile. "I'll see you soon." I say, not wanting to hang up the phone.

"Why aren't you hanging up?" Dal mi asks me.

"I don't want to..." I whine in a child-like voice.

"Aish, you two. I'll hang up." Dong cheon, who sits beside me in the car, takes my phone. "Goodbye Ms Seo!" He says into my phone and hangs up.

"Yah!" I protest as he hands me back my phone.

"We're reaching soon." Dong cheon points out the window. "Don't forget to smile. Look friendly." Dong cheon advises.

"What?" I ask.

"You always look very stone cold during these official events. Smile a bit more, okay?" Dong cheon grins at me.

"What?" I look at him and laugh. "You're getting as random as Yeongsil."

~

"It was nice meeting you."

"It was nice meeting you too. Always a pleasure." I shake the hands of our business partners.

"Let's go." I tell Dong cheon after our business partners have left. We head into the lift. I glance at my watch. 6pm. Fifty four hours left.

I press the lift button for Level 1. As the lift goes down, it stops at Level 6. The lift doors open and both sides of the lift doors are surprised at the sight before them.